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ET-3s Qs

if i get it what will i need i know i need a castle link but do i need a bec or is it on one already. also what size bullets are on it. ill be running a spektrum dx3c so ill need to turn off the CLL (for the TQi) any other things positive or negative about it. i think it is the same as a mmp so i thinking it will make a good esc to regulate power to a novak hv 550 5.5 motor (anything i need to make that work with the above electronics) to make a pede trail truck.

I would suggest picking up a Castle Link or Field Programming Card just to make changes/ updates to it easier. It does have a built in BEC, but they tend to be weak. If you run stock 2075 Servo and such you should be ok. But on another note you may need one for the Spektrum or at least a Glitch Buster. Yes you will need to turn off CLL to use the Spektrum. So to the first question, now you will definitely need a Link or Card. The bullet connectors are 3.5mm. I upgraded mine to 4.0mm. Other than all this you should be good to go. So far everything seems to be very comparable to the MMP other than having CLL and no on/off switch.

Take a look on eBay you should be able to pick up the ET-3S for a nice price.

I finally soldered up the CC 10A BEC last night. Went for the one on my Desert Rat Sl4sh. Everything went smooth, took a few extra minutes to keep everything nice & clean. Man what a difference that makes for a Savox 1258TG servo.

My thoughts, skip the BEC and extra wiring and just get a Hitec servo. You won't get the same specs as the Savox, but you can get close and no one has actually verified the speeds / power of Savox vs Hitec.

My thoughts, skip the BEC and extra wiring and just get a Hitec servo. You won't get the same specs as the Savox, but you can get close and no one has actually verified the speeds / power of Savox vs Hitec.

which hitec would you recomend
if i do get a hitec do i still need a bec or glitchbuster

stock servo, spektrum receiver, venom 30c 5000mah 2s lipo, novak balistic 18.5 crawler motor sensored
the problem is that if i give it more than 1/2 throttle it shuts off the led is blinking green, if i let it to neutral then give it throttle it goes
only setting change is turned cll off

The ET-3S speed control should not need reprogramming with normal use. However, if you install a different radio system in your model, or change the transmitter’s throttle-neutral setting from 50/50 to 70/30, or lose throttle respone; you will need to reprogram the speed control. Follow these instructions to reprogram the speed control:

1. Elevate the model so the rear wheels are off the ground and install the battery of your choice in the battery compartment.

2. Switch on your transmitter, and verify that the 3 position selector switch is in Burnout Mode.

3. Hold full throttle while you switch the model on by plugging a charged battery pack into the ET-3S controller. After a few seconds, you will hear multiple tones and the RED LED will light.

4. Hold full brake. After a few seconds, you will hear multiple tones and the YELLOW LED will light.

5. Release the trigger to the neutral position. After a few seconds, you will hear multiple tones and ALL THE LEDs will light.

6. Wait a few more seconds for the speed control to ‘arm,’ indicated by a double-tone. You are now ready to drive.

Setting Low Voltage Detection

Important! Always Use Low Voltage Detection with LiPo Batteries.

From the factory, the model’s speed control has been set up for LiPo batteries, with Low Voltage Detection enabled. This system is designed to prevent accidental over-discharging of LiPo batteries.

Caution: Low Voltage Detection MUST be enabled if you use LiPo batteries in your model.

If you choose to run NiMH batteries in your model, Low Voltage Detection may be switched off to ensure maximum run time with NiMH batteries. Follow these steps:

1. Turn your transmitter on and hold full throttle.

2. Plug a charged battery into the speed control to turn the speed control on.

3. Continue to hold full throttle. After a few seconds you will hear four rings in a row to signal full-throttle calibration. Continue to hold full throttle. After you hear another four rings, return the throttle to neutral.

4. You are now in the first programming mode, and the first option for this mode. The speed control will confirm this by beeping once, pausing, and beeping again.

5. Low Voltage Detection is the seventh programming option. To access it, hold full throttle until the speed control beeps quickly, then release. The speed control will beep twice, then once, to confirm it is in the second programming mode. Repeat holding the trigger to full throttle until the speed control beeps quickly, then returning to neutral until the speed control beeps seven times, and then once. This indicates the speed control is in tuning mode 7 (Low Voltage Detection), and the first option for the mode (Low Voltage Detection OFF).

6. Repeat holding the trigger to full throttle until the speed control beeps quickly, then returning to neutral until the speed control beeps nine times, and then once. Hold full throttle a final time. The speed control will ring to indicate it has reached the end of the programming cycle, then return to normal operation.

Reactivating Low Voltage Detection

Repeat the steps above until you reach step 5, and the speed control beeps seven times then once. Hold the trigger to the full brake position to advance to the second Low Voltage Detection option (Low Voltage Detection ON). Repeat step 6 to complete setting the speed control. Your Traxxas ET-3S speed control is Powered by Castle. Additional features and instructions are available in the “Driver’s Ed Guide” at CastleCreations.com

just installed my et-3s with a novak 18.5 crawler motor and when i give it full throtle it shuts off any thoughts
i can run it at half throttle but thats it
Please Help

The novak 18.5 crawler motor is a sensor based motor, have you set the esc to brushless sensored mode in the castle link program? Also, the ET-3s has the sensor port on it, but we have no idea if it actually works or not. If it does, let us know!

@ shaky Will set it to 120 when I get back from hunting on Tuesday and I don't have a glitch buster do u think that would help
Baldy I have tried both smart sense and sensored setting and neither seems to make a difference
On the other hand it makes starting smoother so it seems to work just can't go fast

Im not familiar with the novak motors so im not sure if its a 4 pole or 2 pole, but keep in mind that when you perform the castle motor kv test, it was originally designed for measuring the kv of 2 pole motors. So if ur motor is a 4 pole, you will have to divide the resulting kv in half. If ur motor is a 2 pole, then the reading will be fine.

Funny you mention that, as I didn't catch that when I did mine, Tekin Pro4 4000Kv. It came in at 8250Kv. I feel its a handy feature, at the track I set it to 8, bashing 6 helps with batt. run time. Start power medium, Cut-off 3.5 Auto, Since were using the same radio I set the Throttle Expo
Forward to -30% helps with Dead-band.

Funny you mention that, as I didn't catch that when I did mine, Tekin Pro4 4000Kv. It came in at 8250Kv. I feel its a handy feature, at the track I set it to 8, bashing 6 helps with batt. run time. Start power medium, Cut-off 3.5 Auto, Since were using the same radio I set the Throttle Expo
Forward to -30% helps with Dead-band.

The kv readout feature of the castle link software was actually supposed to have been removed in a firmware update when castle released the 4 pole motors. Apparently the firmware update even stated that it would be removed, but after the update it still remained.

just installed my et-3s with a novak 18.5 crawler motor and when i give it full throtle it shuts off any thoughts
i can run it at half throttle but thats it
Please Help

Did you figure out this problem yet?

Heres some troubleshooting tips from Castle's faq page about this issue.

2. When I get to full throttle, my ESC cuts power to the motor. I have to throttle off then back on to get the motor to start, but it cuts off again at full throttle. Why is that?

The most likely cause of this problem is a lithium polymer battery pack that is not capable of providing the current the motor, gear ratio, and propeller are asking for. Normally the voltage curve for lipo batteries is almost flat, but when overdrawn their voltage will fall below the cut off point before the battery is discharged completely. The solution for this situation is either a higher gear ratio or a smaller prop, which lowers the current draw of the system. Or, if the performance is not wished to be lost, a higher Mah, or more capable brand of lipo pack can be used.

Another less likely cause for premature LVCO is too small or too high a resistance plug between the battery and the ESC. Also make sure the wires on the battery pack are at least the same size as on the ESC.

If the battery pack is up to the task, and the wires and plugs are sized correctly, it is possible that a sudden motor cut off, with the ability to restart by going to the off throttle position, could be caused by the over current protection on that particular controller being too sensitive.

baldy im geared 11/54, venom 30c 5000mah 2s lipo, using deans plugs from batt to esc and 3.5mm bullets from esc to motor all on 12 gauge wire except for the esc which is 13 gauge, how do i fix the over current protection sensitivity

baldy im geared 11/54, venom 30c 5000mah 2s lipo, using deans plugs from batt to esc and 3.5mm bullets from esc to motor all on 12 gauge wire except for the esc which is 13 gauge, how do i fix the over current protection sensitivity

I don't think the overload protection is the issue, I think it is more likely the low voltage cutoff kicking in due to the lipo voltage dropping to much when you apply full throttle. What is the lvc voltage set at in the castle link programming settings? Do you have another lipo you could try to see if it does the same thing? Venom doesn't have the best track record when it comes to their batteries, but it could be that the lvc is just set too high and the pack can't provide the needed current. When I'm running my truck and my lipo is almost fully dicharged, if I mash the throttle hard the lvc kicks in and reacts in the exact same way yours is acting.

Lvc set to 3.2 auto cutoff default setting
I have the 4 of the same exact lipo and 2 of them have done it
UPDATE
When I'm going at half throttle and I give the car a push and give it more throttle at the same time it will then go full throttle

Lvc set to 3.2 auto cutoff default setting
I have the 4 of the same exact lipo and 2 of them have done it
UPDATE
When I'm going at half throttle and I give the car a push and give it more throttle at the same time it will then go full throttle

well then I think you've got your answer already right there. If two out of four identical lipos are causing the problem and the other two are fine, then the two that are causing the problem have become too weak to handle the system you are running now. The reason why you can push the car and achieve full throttle is because the brushless system draws the most power from the lipo during acceleration. So instead of the lipo supplying the power to get the truck up to speed, the momentum from the push you give it takes the load off of the battery. Staying at full throttle doesn't take much power at all, its getting there that needs the juice. Maybe time for a lipo upgrade, but id recommend that you skip the venom brand this time. There are some really good lipo brands available at some really decent prices. Check here:

i didnt try the other 2 lipos but they just did the same thing as the first 2
they all are less than 1 year old (maybe 6 months)
tried an old tq (the one with the long antena) and it did the same thing
the only other barand of lipo iv tried was a RCS lipo which is only 25c and 4100 mah and that did the same thing
could it be a cold solder joint on eather the motor or the batt connector on the esc

Ok, i did some digging around regarding your issue cuz now its just buggin the heck outta me.

Heres some things to double check:

First check the wiring order from the esc to the motor:

Esc red to motor A,
Esc black to motor B,
Esc white to motor C

Which apparently is the same as this if there are color codes on the motor leads:

red off motor to red off esc,
WHITE off motor to BLACK off esc,
BLACK off motor to WHITE off esc

Now ensure that the sensor cable is fully seated in the port on the esc and the motor (apparently the esc sensor port is a touchy one and wont work if its off even a tiny bit and i read of guys having to use needle nosed pliers to get it to plug in all the way). Just be gentle as i also read about the input harnesses being broken off the board of the MMP by pushing too hard. It is only held on the circuit board by a very small solder joint.

When you run the motor in sensored mode, it should run distinctively different than running without the sensors enabled. If the sensor is working, even with the slightest/slowest throttle input it should run smooth and steady with no cogging or stuttering. Without the sensor cable or with the sensored mode disabled it will cog, twitch and shake with slight throttle input.

Keep in mind that I have no idea if the sensor port even works on the et-3s, but even if it didnt, the 18.5 should still spin up to full speed.

Can you get the motor to spin up to full speed for the entire 3 seconds during the motor kv test in the castle link program? Remember to do this without a pinion installed on the motor.

You can also try the setting in the castle link program called "start power", set this to "high" for best crawling results with the 18.5.

EDIT: I found THE ANSWER to your problem right after i researched and typed up all the above information, but check all that stuff anyways for best results when sensor based crawling. Anyways, the problem lies within the firmware of the esc and will need the firmware restored to a previous/older firmware version. Heres the link with all the info:

Once you revert to the older firmware, everything should work without issue. Since this same guy is having the exact same issue as you are and is also using the exact same esc and motor, id install the exact same firmware version he reverted his esc to. Good luck! And let me know how it works out.